David Report no. 9 - I Shop Therefore I Am

David Report has posted their newest issue - "I shop therefore I am." You can read it at their site or it's also available to download for free. The very high-level description:

We are proud to announce the new David Report bulletin called "I shop therefore I am". In this issue we are looking into the world of consumer culture from different point of views; ethical, social, political, economical and humanistic.

Shopping has turned into a lifestyle. We consume as leisure and a way to pass time. But at the same time many are realizing that the power of consumption is stopping us from finding true and sincere happiness; and that shopping often works as a substitute for something that we´re missing in life. At what point does the accumulation of material goods become less fulfilling and more stressful and overwhelming?

Our consumption grows in the same pace as our economic growth. Studies shows that in hundred years we consume eight times as much per capita as today. Can our globe take such a strain? The power of consumption is being questioned and there´s a change in attitude and way of life. We don´t want to be consuming goofs, we want to be considered aware and responsible. It is all about WHAT we buy and WHAT we choose to invest in, the world we live in will be the result of those choices.

In the future consumption will be more about experiences and services than things. Perhaps giving will be more important than having. Are the companies, who survive on our consumption, prepared for this transition?

The David Report bulletin no 9 "I shop therefore I am" also offers insight on the subject from strategist Kristina Dryza and Zen-Buddhist Sante Poromaa. On top of this an interview with Mathilda Tham, guest professor at Beckmans school of Design.

There were a couple things that stood out in particular to me on this. The first was this thought:

In the future consumption will be more about experiences and services than things. Perhaps giving will be more important than having.

To me, this talks to the on-going hot topic of utility and the desire of today's consumers to use products and services that actually do things for them vs. buying brands in an effort to say things about themselves.

This statement goes beyond utility though and talks about supporting brands that make the world a better place, not just our own lives. In this regard, my mind immediately goes to TOMS Shoes, where purchasing a pair of TOMS not only gets you a pair of shoes, but also gives one to a child in need somewhere around the globe.

This is all further cementing the direction things have been moving in for quite some time. Especially with younger shoppers. People are becoming more conscious about what they buy, what went into producing it and what happens to their dollars post-purchase.

More and more people are moving away from buying things to make a statement about who they are; to buying things that give them an experience or help them do something that then shapes who they are and gives them a story to tell.

The evolution of this is going from purchasing products and services that do something only for our own good to supporting products that also do something for others in need or for the betterment of our planet.

The other piece that jumped out at me initially was a block of text in support of Herd:

A classical psychological symptom is also reflected in our shopping, humans are group animals and will do anything to stay in their group. To be excluded means death and to avoid being excluded people do what all other people are doing, in this case shop! Don’t be different, look like everyone else, do like everyone else etc. ...

In thinking about this in relation to the above point, as more and more people begin to shop with a more conscious mind about how they're spending their dollars, others will follow suit. In my mind, this says marketers need to do things with our marketing that supports and informs these changes.

The brands that start helping people feel better about their spending habits and where their money is going are going to get ahead quickly. The brands that continue to be selfish with their marketing and their dollars, or that just try to appear they're doing good? Well, let's just say they won't need their shades in the future.

How can brands do this? By creating experiences for, or sharing experiences with, people. Experiences change behavior. It is through doing and seeing others do things that we learn and change our own actions. We don't often change our behavior simply from hearing or reading words. Hearing and reading are important as reminders, but the the act of doing/experiencing is far stronger.

If you don't believe this, just think to when you hear a mother tell her child, "Don't touch that, it's hot," for the first time. Being that the child has never felt it before, they inevitably touch it to learn for themselves. Then, the next time their mother tells them the same thing, they recall the burn (action) of the first time and refrain from touching it this time.

Anyway... if you are a brand that is doing good with the money people spend on your products, don't stop at telling people you're doing it or going to do it. Show them you're doing it. Invite them to help you. Make them feel as much a part of the experience as possible. Let them decide how much they want to get involved, but give them every opportunity you can to join in.

O.K., I think I've gone on far too long on this one now. Read the report when you have a few free minutes as there are some interesting things in it to consider as you think about the future of marketing and advertising.

Comments

[Ian]

Good post, I will definitely check out David Report. Brian Ulrich's work explores the same ideas: http://shapeandcolour.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/brain-ulrich-copia/